New Jersey kids Kyle Anderson, Karl-Anthony Towns finally teammates in NBA as Timberwolves

Kyle Anderson said he and Karl-Anthony Towns have known each other since he was about 10 years old and Towns was 8.

Both grew up in New Jersey and tracked the other's path to the NBA from the time they were kids.

"It's awesome," Anderson said. "We always watched each other from afar. I'm super proud of him. … We followed each other's high school careers, and now it's fun to link up in Minnesota. It's pretty dope."

Towns said he could see back then what Anderson brought on the court, but also how much he contributed to winning on every team he played. That's something the Wolves are hopeful Anderson will bring off the bench for them.

"I know how much of a winner he is. We grew up with each other," Towns said. " … I've seen him play the biggest games in New Jersey history ... I seen him come out with victories in those games when they said they may not be able to come with them. So I know what he brings to the table."

Anderson, who signed in the offseason after playing in Memphis, will be an important part of the Wolves' rotation this season, someone who can play in the frontcourt and bring a defensive presence at all times. He will likely be playing the four, or power forward, position. At times last season, the Grizzlies used him to limit Towns.

It was in their playoff series that Anderson noticed how much the Wolves were on an upswing and knew he might fit in well during his free agency. He signed a two-year deal worth $18 million.

"The fans were awesome and then the team played with tenacity, the team played hard," Anderson said. "You saw Minnesota's owners there front and center every game during the playoffs. That definitely stood out to me. Obviously at the time I was focused on trying to win a playoff series. Looking back at it, it was just like wow, Minnesota was all in."

The Wolves will be looking to play multiple defensive coverages this season whether Rudy Gobert is on or off the floor. Anderson said that is something only a few teams can pull off effectively. Anderson said everyone's responsibilities may differ depending on whether Gobert is on the floor.

Anderson will try to use his experience and communication skills to help keep everyone on the same page in those situations.

"That's what good teams can do," Anderson said. "They're able to adjust on the fly, all be able to be on the same page. They're able to talk about a game plan, whether that's both coverages, one coverage or two coverage. They're able to go out and execute it. If we want to be the team we say we want to be, we have to be able to go get that done."

The Wolves before the game waived Eric Paschall, who was on a two-way contract. Paschall appeared in one preseason game and was limited by an Achilles' injury, which played into the Wolves' decision to waive him.

"He wasn't really able to kind of show us what he could do in camp," coach Chris Finch said. "It was unfortunate because we were very excited about the opportunity to bring him in in the summertime, but we do appreciate his efforts nonetheless."

Paschall spoke at media day about how he thought about giving up basketball this summer and mental health obstacles he faced in dealing with that decision before signing with the Wolves.

He has averaged 9.8 points per game in his three-year career.

Guard Jordan McLaughlin was in the lineup after missing two preseason games because of a shoulder injury.

"Shoulder was giving me a little bit of issues, but feel like I'm ready to go," McLaughlin said after practice Tuesday. "A good couple days of practice leading into the season opener."